Automatic railway gate



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,010

A. w. MUSSELMAN AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE Filed March 2. 1.926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

M14445 fizgua/(Lwa/n/ Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,010

A. W. MUSSELMAN AUTOMATIC RA'ILWAY GATE Filed March 2. 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

Dec. 27, 1927.

A. W. MUSSELMAN AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE Filed March 2. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y/ /&\\

INVENTOR. CH 71% BY @W M {T TORNEY.

Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

ARTHUR w. MUssELMAiI, oiilnnnvnn, COLORAJDO.

Application fiia March 2, 11926.jsenai m. 91,719.

This invention relatesto electric systems -for the automatic operation of gates at railwaycrossings and itspriniary object is to provide in a? ociation with an electric motor forthe OPGIfllJlOH of a railway gate, a system of electrical connections and controlling devices operatirely arranged to cause the gate to he closed by a t 'ain approaching the crossing and to be reopened after the train has passed the same.

it further object oi? the intention is to pro-v vide in an electric system of the above de scribed character, means to maintain the gate in its closed position after its motor has been actuated by a passing train, in the event joiiother trains approaching or passing the crossing during the period Between the closins: and opening inoven'ients of the gatel Another object of the invention is to pro ridein connection ivith the gate-operating system, a signal appliance hy whiclr the engineer of a train moving or standing adjacent the railway crossing-is apprised of the position 01 the gate and the working condition of the systen'i, and still il urther ohjeets reside in details oi. construction and novel arrangement and combinations of parts to he hereinafter tully described with reteronce to the aecon'ipanying drawings.

in the (ll'ttWlIWS l'll WlllCll like, characters o'l? reference designate corresponding parts hrougrhont the several views- 1 :e 1 represents, chagji'an'nnatically, the coin at the time the gate is being closed by an approaching train.

Figure 2, a similar VlBW Withthe parts in the position during the vtiine o'l'freopening the grate after the train has passed the crossingf v i I r Figure 3, a sectional elevation of a gate adapted for use in the system.

Figure e, a fragmentary elevation of the rear end li a locomotive inside the rah there of showing" the arrangement of the Contact and signal devices included inthe system;

and i 1 i Figure 5, a fragmentary side elevation oi? the locomotive.

Referring further to the drawings the tern as illustrated in Figures 1. and 2, is shown in its simplest form for the operation Of a single gate at a magi-crossing of a single-track railway. The illustration thus simplified, is thought to he suflicient to core vey a complete understanding of the construction arrangement and operatimi of the essential elements of the invention and it is to l3B-1111flQl'F'l1U0tl that, in practise, two gates at opposite sides oil the railway are simultai'ieonsly operated; and that by siniple electrival interconnectiens, the system may he extender Ito he operated hy trains moving on two or more railway tracle; past the crossings at which the gates are installed.

The gate shown in detail in, Figure 3 oi the drawing is oilthe pivoted type It consists of stand 5 on which is pivoted as at 6, a balanced Weighted bar 7 adapted to 0i:- tend in its loi'vered position across a highway at a railroad crossing.

motor, meshing; with a worm gear 12 of larger diaiii-eter on the pivoted gate. The gate as shown represents a simple and prac imil enihodilnent of the element of the invention \ill'lCll is actuated in the operation sol. th'esystein, to ohstrnct the hi gg'hway at the upon the aj i n'oach of a train, but he made stood that gates oi (hll'erent construction, astior mtanrple, gates slidiir horizontally to and from the obstructive position, may he employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

ll'he circuit-closing appliances [j'01li3ii(3t-(l0- vices and other parts included in the electrical systenn have also hcen shown intheir einiplest and, as it appears at the present time, most i n'actical torn] ai'id it will he turn their understood that these parts "are likewise eusc ptihle to changes within the scope oi? the i rention aswill he fully defined in. the following part oil? the description and in the "thereunto appendedclaiins,

ilhe reference numeral 13 designates the highway crossingthe railway track 16 the approach to which from both directions is to he obstructed by the gates in the operation ot the system. H i

The lOCOlllOtlVGF? ofthe trains moving on the ailivay are equipped with contact-devices 14. olieither the trolley or pantoggraph type, adapted to electric; ll engage with overhead contact rails e-mspended ahovethe track at opposite sides of the crossing.

Butonecontactmlevice is required in the operation of the system hutit desirable that the locomotive he equipped with two 1 similar contact devices at opposite sides, to permit of its use in the system while moving backward as well as when it moves, as ordinarily, in a forward direction. y

The overhead contact rails are disposed at opposite sides of the crossing. to be successively engaged by the correspondingly positioneditrolley or pantograph on the passing train and in order to provide for the operation of the'system by trains moving in opposite directions, two pairs of the contact rails are placed at opposite sides of the track at each crossing. as shown in the drawings.

The contact rails designated by the reference numeral 15, function in the operation to .close the gate by trains approaching the crossing and those designated by the numeral 17, are subsequently engaged by the contacts on the trains to re-open the gates.

The electric current required in the operation of the system is obtained from a source ofelectricity on the locomotives of the trains, it being most practical to employ for this'purpose, the generators found on all modern engines to provide current. for the lighting systems of the locomotives.

The source of electricity indicated at 18 in thedrawings, is'connected at one side with the ground by means of the metal parts of the enginewhich are in electrical communication with the rails, and its opposite side is in constant connection with the trolley or contact shoe 19 of the contact device 14 as by f means. of aconductor 63.

The contact device has been shown in the drawings as composed of four pivoted arms,

and a' spring 20 by which the shoe at the upper ends-of the arms is urged to yieldingly' engage the overhead contact rails which for the purpose of admitting the contact shoes to their lower surfaces are curved upwardly at their extremities.

The principal circuit cont-rolling devices of thesystem are two electro-magnetic switches "one of which functions to cause acurrent flow through the field of the gate motor in one direction for its operation to lower the gate, while the other is provided to reverse the direction of the current flow for the 34 on its armature 24 in one position and a,

third contact 25 engaged by a contaet'35 on the armature in its other position.

The other switch indicated at 26, has but a single contact 27 which when the electric magnet is energized, is engaged by a contact 36 on the armature 28.

In addition to the ma n. swltches mentioned hereinabove, the system includes contact breakers 29 and 30 in connection with the gates, which are operated to open the circuits when the gate is opened or closed, for

the principal purpose of maintaining the closed position of the gate irrespective of the number of trains that pass the crossing at one time either one after another or from opposite directions.

The main circuits of the system are as follows: The two contact rails 15 at opposite sides of the crossing are connected by means of conductors 31 with one oi the terminals of the magnet coil of the switch 21, the opposite end of which is connected with the ground at 32.

The contact 23 of the switch 21 is likewise connected with the contact rails 15 by a branch 37 of the conductor 31, the contact 22 of the same is connected with the ground 32,

and the contact 25 connects with the contact rails 17 by conductors 38.

The contact 34 on the moving armature of the switch 21, is by means of a conductor 39 connected at one end of the field of the gate motor 9, the opposite end of the field being connected with the contact 33 of the armature by a conductor 40, and the contact 35 on the armature is connected with a terminal of the magnet coil 26 by a conductor 41.

The other terminal of the coil 26 connected with the ground by a conductor 41" and the conductor 38 connects the contact rails 17 with the conductor 40, when the contacts 25 and 35 are together.

The contact 27 of the switch 26 connects with the ground by a conductor 4A, and the corresponding contact 36 on the arn'ialure 28, is connected with the side of the motor field opposite to that connected with the conductor 40 by means of a conductor 15.

A break in the conductor 31 is normally closed by the circuit breaker 29 ot the gate, andarbreak in the conductor -11 is normally bridged by the circuit breaker 30.

These circuit breakers may be of any suitable construction and have been shown as consisting of a flexible contact blade connected at one side of the break in the circuit and normally engaging with a fixed contact at the opposite side of the break, from which it is separated by the gate as it reaches its extreme position when closed or opened.

It is the object of the circuit-ln'eakers to open the circuit whose current liow moved the gate to either its open or closed position upon the gate reaching said positions, and thereby prevent further actuation of the gate in the same direction by other trains passing the crossing during the period of operation caused by a train that approached the crossing in advance of the others.

Normally, when the systen'i is not in operation,'the switch 21 is in the condition shown in Figure 2, the switch 26 in the condition illustrated in Figure 1, and the gate is in Eli Inn

Ill)

nos r 010 the contact at the near side otthehighway with its contact device 1 1, thereby energizing the electroniagiiet otthe switch 21 as follows:

Beginning, at the source 18 on the locomotive, the conductor 63, the contact shoe on the cont-a device 14, the contact rail 15, the conductor 51, in which is included the 1101* anally closed circuit lneaker 29, the coil of the magnet and the ground 32.

The energization ol' the magnet causes its armature to move to the position illustrated in l e ure lin which the circuit of the gate iuotor 9 is completed as follows:

Again commencing at the source .18 on the locoiuoti'ie the conductor (:33, the contact shoe on the device it, the oi 'erlicacl rail 15 the conductors ill and 3'1", the contacts 23 and ill, the conductor Elli, the motor field, the conductor 40. the contacts 33 and22 and the ground lhe inotor operating in clockwise rotation causes the gate to move to its closed position by means of the worn] l0 and the worm gear 12, and the gate remains in this position while the train passes the crossing and after it has disengaged the contact rail 15.

he soon as the contact device on the locoiuotive disengages the contact rail 15, the coil ot the switch 21. is deenergized and the urniu'l'ure returns loits original position as shown in Figure 2 The system remains inoperative and the gate is held in the closed position until the contact device on the train engages the contact rail 17 at too opposite side oi? the cross in g when the magnet of the switch 26 is energized as follows:

Beginning; at the source 18 on the locomotive the conductor 6?, the contact device 14, the overhead rail 17, the conductor 38, the contacts and 235 of the switchfll, the conductor il closed in the circuit breaker 30, the magnet coil 26 and the conductor l3 connecting with the ground. The energization oi": the magnet causes its armature 28 to bring the contact 36 in engagement with the cont: t 2i", thereby closing the motor circuit as ilollows:

(lonnnencing; at the source 18, the condnctor es, the contact device i l, the contact rail ii, the conductor 3th the conductor -.l:ll,'lllo niotor held, the cornluctor do, the contacts 8e and Z7 and the coiuluctors {t t and +13 leading to the ground.

The direction otrolation ot the motor is thereby reversed and its movement in counter-cloclrwise direction causes the gate to be reopened.

llt will be apparent that the relation of the two switches in their interconnected circuits, places the systenii in, a condition which will. or use the operation of the gate to move it from the position it occupies to its other position by the engagement of the contact devices on the trains with the proper contact railsat either side of the crossing.

When the gate is losing inorcd hoth circuits are closed in the circuit breakers, so that if during its opeui'ug,- increment alter a traln=has eugagedjone o'ttlic contact rails 17, another train moving either in the same direction or in the opposite direction, on gages one of: the contact rails 15, the movement or the gate will he inuneciliately reversed so that the gate will remain closed as long as a train passes or approaches the crossing.

in order to apprise the engineer of a train approaching or passing); the crosi'iiii or ota train standing; adjacent the mom--1- ing: lu'ciuragenient with one or another ot the contact rails, oi? the position ol the gate or gates at the crossing, a sig nulinu appliance is installed in th call or' thc en 'inc.

l or the purpose of operationthe inn appliances, auxiliary contiict rails and ltlarc placed next to the contact rails ill and 17 the contact device lsl on the enequipped with auxiliary contact 9 and adapted to engage the aux iliary rails and the gate is proi idcd with two sets oi contacts 531 and 5th the uremlicrs of "which engage one another when the e is in either its wide open or itscloscd position.

In the cuh ot the locomotive designated by the numeral 523, are a red signal. lamp 5t indicating the closed position oi? the gate and a green signal lamp designuting tlle open position of the gate and these lanuis are connected in circuits controlled hr the contact members on the gate; es tollo The lamps 4-. and are connected with the source 18 lay coinluctors 5t; and :37, and with the contact shoes ill) and il-ll respectively by conductors 58 and ill).

The contact iueruliers 57 and, on the gate are connected to the grouiul as at so and the correspoml111;; stationary contacts are connected with the auxiliary contact rails 4s and +17, respectively by coiuluclois 61. and (i2.

\Vhen the gate is in the closed position, and the contact device on the locomotive engages tl i anxiliary contact rail ll" at the same time that it engages the contact rail 15 the circuit of the red signal lanu is closed as follows:

l leginning at the source ill, the coiuluctor 56, the :lilainent ol the lamp 5 h the conductor 58, the contact 50, the contact rail. i-"i the conductor Oil, the contacts 532 on the note and the ground (30,, and when the gate is open and the contact rail -tl next to the rail 17 is engaged in; the tl'ollc on the engine, the circuit ot the green lainp closed as follows (lon'nnencing; again at the source 18,tlie conductor 57, the filament of the lamp i to iliitl lill'l the conductor 59, the contact shoe 49 on the contact device l4,the rail 48, the conductor 61, the contacts 51 on the gate, and the ground 60. I

In order to enable the engineer of the train to move the train or engine as in switching, without disturbing the position of the gates at an adjacent crossing, a hand switch 6% is placed in'the cab of the engine, to control the continuity of the conductor 63 between the generator 18 and the contact shoe or trolley on the pantograph 14-.

The gates at the railway crossing may be provided with lampsor prismatic reflectors i to apprise pedestrians or drivers of approaching vehicles of their closed position at night and an alaru'rot the type tro quently used in connection with railway gates may be employed on the gates of the present inventionto audibly give warning while they are moving to and from their closed position.

Inasmuch as indicatory devices the above mentioned character are quite com mon and notan essential part of the invention, they have not been shown in the drawings.

Haring thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A system for the operation of railway gates comprising a gate, an electric motor operating the same, contact rails at opposite sides of a crossing protected by the gate, a

train-carried source otelectricity, a therewith connected contact dvice adapted to engage the contact rails at the crossing, circuits for the motor, connected to the contact rails, an, electro-magnctic switch element controlling the circuits to effect the operation of the motor in opposite directions, and circuits for the switch element connected to the contact rails.

2. A system for the operation of railway gates comprising a gate, an electric motor operating the same, contactrails at opposite sidesot a crossing protected by the gate, a train-carried source of electricity, a therewith connected contact device adapted to engage the contact rails at the crossing, cir- 'cuits for the motor, connected to the contact rails, an electro-n'iagnetic switch element controlling the circuits to etlect the operation ot the motor in opposite directions, circuits torthe switch element connected to the contact rails, and means to open the last mentioned circuits by movement of the gate. I

3. system't'or the operation 01? railway gates comprising a gate, an electric motor operating the same, contact rails at opposite sides of a crossing protected by the gate, a train-carried source of electricity, at therewith connected cont-act device adapted to engage the contact rails at the crossing,

circuits for the motor, connected to the con tact rails, an electro-magnetic switch element controlling the circuits to effect the operation of the motor in opposite directions, circuits for the switch element connected to the contact rails, and circuit breakers operated by movement of the gate to break the last mentioned circuits when the gate is in its closed or open positions.

4. A system for the operation of railway gates comprising a gate, an electric motor operating the same, a. contact rail. at a crossing protected by the gate, a train-carried source of electricity, a therewith connected contact device adapted to engage the contact rail at the crossing, a circuit tor the motor, connected to the contact rail, an clcctro-magnetic switch clement controlling the motor circuit, and acircuit for the switch element connected to the contact rail.

A system for the operation o'li railway gates comprising a gate, an electric motor operating the same, a contact rail at a crossing protected by the gate, a train-carried source of electricity, a therewith connected contact device adapted to engage the contact: rail at the crossing, a circuit for the motor, connected to the contact rail, an elcct-ro-n'iagnetic switch element controlling the motor circuit, a circuit for the switch clement connected to the contact ail and means to open the last mentioned circuit by movement of the gate.

6. A system for the operation of" railway gates comprising a gate. an electric motor operating the same, a contact rail at a crossing protected by the gate, a train-carried source of electricity, a therewith connected contact device adapted to engage the contact rail at the crossing, a circuit for the l'l'lOtOI, connected to the contact rail, an clectro-magnetic switch element controlling the motor circuit, a circuit for the switch elcmcnt connected to the contact rail and a circuit breaker opening the last mentioned circuit by movement of the gate when the gate is closed.

7 A system for the operation of railway gates comprising a gate, an electric motor to operate the same, contact rails at opposite sides of a crossing protected by the gate. a train-carried source of electricity, a therewith conneeted contact device adapted to engage the contact rails at the crossing, circuits for the motor, connected to the contact rails, an electro-magnetic switch in a. circuit connected to one of the contact rails, controlling a motor circuit to elfect a current flow through the motor in one direction, and an electro-magnet-ic switch in a circuit connected to the other contact rail, controlling a motor circuit to effect a current flow through the motor in the opposite direction.

8. A system for the operation of railway gates comprising a gate, an electric motor loo to operate the same, contact rails at opposite eldes 0t :1 crossing protected by the gate, a train-carried source of electricity, at tl1ercwith connected COlllilOtdevice adapted to engo ge the contact rails at the crossing, circuits for the motor, connected to the contact rails, an electromagnetic switch in a circuit connected to one of the contact rails controlling a motor circuit to efiiect av current flow through the motor in one direction, and

closing :1 break in another motor circuit, in its deenergized. condition, and an electromagnetic switch in a circuit connected to the other contact rail, cooperating with the first switch in controlling the last mentioned 7 ARTHUR XV. MUSSELMAN, 

